IPL 2025: Can SRH Turn Around Dismal IPL Campaign in Second Half of Competition?
How Can SRH Qualify for the Knockouts?
After joining the Indian Premier League back in 2013, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have earned a reputation as one of the most devastating batting lineups in the competition and have reached the knockout stages in six of the last 10 campaigns.
Indeed, the three highest scores ever seen in the IPL have all come from the Hyderabad-based team, with the second-highest being posted this season, when they notched up 286/6 against the Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the competition.
Since then, though, Pat Cummins’ side has endured a dismal run of results, winning only one of their next six matches, with their most recent fixture ending in a painful four-wicket loss to the Mumbai Indians on the road on Friday afternoon.
However, while the Sunrisers have only managed four points from their first seven games, all hope of qualifying for the knockout round is not lost.
Past IPL seasons have shown that teams that manage eight wins (16 points) are almost certain to secure a top-four finish, while seven wins (14 points) have also been enough for teams to progress, though net run rate comes into play.
Thus, with two wins already in the bag, SRH will have to win six of their seven remaining games to guarantee themselves a spot in the knockouts, while five more wins will get them close, depending on NRR.
With this in mind, every game from here on needs to be approached as a final for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, starting with the second match of their back-to-back against Mumbai on Wednesday, and you can check out our cricket predictions for more info on that crucial fixture.
SRH’s Struggles On The Road This Season
One of the major contributors to the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s downward spiral this season has been their struggles with adapting to different conditions. To date, they are the only side that has lost all of their away matches as we head to the halfway point of the season.
This is an issue that the team’s head coach, Daniel Vettori, also discussed in his post-match press conference following their loss to Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium, where the pitch was much slower than back in Hyderabad.
However, it is not just their batting lineup that has struggled to cope with different conditions - after seven games, no SRH bowler is currently in the top 10 leading wicket-takers list in the competition, with Harshal Patel being their highest ranked bowler at 14th with nine wickets.
Additionally, the Sunrisers were also dealt a major blow over the last week, with spinner Adam Zampa sustaining a shoulder injury, which has ruled him out for the remainder of their 2025 IPL and has cast doubt on his availability for the Aussies’ upcoming series against the West Indies.
